Algeria will launch on 7 April the first survey on the impact of exposure to pollutants on the Algerian population in Africa, announced Tuesday the Director of the National Toxicology Centre in Africa Berkahoum Alamir.
Entitled Bio surveillance of exposure of the Algerian population to pollutants, this survey, 8th of its kind worldwide, will coincide with the World Health Day and will involve a minimum of 1210 households spread over 39 representative provinces countrywide, stressed Berkahoum at a press conference held at the centre.
Samples taking will take place in the weekends of the current months with 10 households at the end of each week, and will affect a population ranging between 3 and 74 years. The survey will wrap up at the end of the year.
The survey includes 57 questions that will be asked to the individuals that accept to answer on their lifestyle (Eating habits, hygiene, etc…) and their environment to determine the impact of 20 toxic pollutants on their health, notably metal and metalloids (arsenic, mercury, lead, vanadium, chromium, etc…).
The survey, which targets 10,000 samples, aims to obtain raw data on prevalence among targeted individuals with levels above the recommended thresholds for environment chemicals.
